Chapter 4

The sunlight was blinding, I shielded my eyes with my hand.

"Sister, would you like to take a look?"

I lowered my hand and saw a stuffed bear.

The clumsy body leaned towards me, somewhat comical.

I took the flyer from his hand, it was for a nearby cafe.

"I'll go, thank you."

The image of me accompanying Adam to hand out flyers flashed in my mind.

Those days when the streets were as hot as a steamer — that was the hardship I endured with him.

I smiled at the mascot, about to leave when I heard his energetic voice.

"Sister, your smile is very pretty."

I froze, those words echoing in my ears.

Lily, your smile is very pretty.

"Really?" I reflexively asked him.

The rough fabric patted my cheek, the clumsy mascot was struggling to raise his hand.

"If you don't cry, it's very pretty."

"Sister, don't cry anymore."

I touched my eyes in a daze, my fingertips felt wet.

I cried again? I shouldn't cry.

After a moment, a smile bloomed on my face. I hugged the mascot, and he didn't refuse me.

"Thank you."

I must be crazy.

I just sat next to him, watching him hand out flyers one by one, chatting with passersby sentence by sentence.

He told me to go home soon, I shook my head and refused.

He didn't mind, just moved his clumsy mascot costume to block the sun for me.

So this is how it feels to be cared for, it's so nice.

As the sun set, he took off the mascot suit and sat with me.

Next to us was the water he had run to buy for me.

The weather was too hot, his hair was damp and limp on his forehead.

I took out a tissue for him, he took it, wiped the sweat on his face, then pushed his bangs up.

Very sunny, very handsome.

Completely different from Adam's steady looks.

I stared at him in a daze, he waved his hand in front of my eyes, smiling and asking, "I'm handsome, right? You're staring."

I was amused by his goofy expression.

I pushed his hand away and stood up.

"Don't be so narcissistic."

"I need to go home now, you should go home early too."

The ride-share driver honked impatiently.

I waved to him and got in the car.

Through the car window, I saw him hugging the mascot suit, his back to the sunset, smiling and waving to me.

I didn't tell him that his smile was very nice too.

Many years ago, it was me wearing the mascot suit to block the sun for Adam who hated the heat.

Inside the mascot suit, it was stuffy and suffocating, like a steamer.

Adam's complaining tone and young master temper are still very clear in my memory.

What was I thinking back then?

I was thinking, if only someone would block the sun for me too.

Why am I thinking about Adam again.

Once again, I touched my eyes — dry.

This time I didn't cry.

Back home, it was still empty.

Vivian somehow added me on SnapChat, I accepted, but she didn't send me a message.

I knew what she was up to.

Opening Instagram, sure enough, there was her playful caption and a photo.

"Dinner with my favorite person! Even the lemonade tastes sweet~"

The picture showed two glasses of lemonade and a sumptuous meal.

And a man's hand — obviously Adam's.

He was clever, even took off the watch I gave him.

Once again, I wrote in my diary.

"Today Adam forgot I would bring him lunch, and ate with another girl. That girl even fed him carrots he doesn't like, I was so angry I slapped her. Adam took her side and made me apologize, I felt so hurt."